From 1 January 2005, under the so-called 'liability shift', retailers who do not use the new Chip and PIN payment system could now be held liable in the event of fraudulent transactions which take place at the point of sale.

The Corporate Telephone Preference Service was set up following the publication of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2004, and came into effect on 25 June 2004.

In 1991, the Conservative Government introduced a taxable benefit of £200 on employees who used their business mobile telephones for private calls. Under Labour, Chancellor Gordon Brown abolished the £200 taxable benefit.

The Enterprise Act, received Royal Assent on 7 November 2002, contains a number of measures aimed at modernising corporate insolvency law. Important reforms came into effect on 15 September 2003, as outlined below.